INTERBRANCH CRIMINAL AND JUVENILE JUSTICE COUNCIL

RSA tit. LXII, ch. 651-E

in effect

RSA 651-E:1 Council Established.

651-E:1. Council Established. There is established an interbranch criminal and juvenile justice council to provide leadership, communication, and coordination among those involved in or affected by the criminal and juvenile justice systems. Source. 2008, 201:1, eff. June 16, 2008.

RSA 651-E:2 Membership and Compensation.

651-E:2. Membership and Compensation. I. The members of the council shall be as follows: (a) The governor, or designee. (b) Two members of the senate, appointed by the president of the senate. (c) Three members of the house of representatives, one of whom shall be from the criminal justice and public safety committee, and one of whom shall be from the children and family law committee, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives. (d) The chief justice of the supreme court, or designee. (e) The attorney general, or designee. (f) The commissioner of the department of corrections, or designee. (g) The commissioner of the department of safety, or designee. (h) The commissioner of the department of health and human services, or designee. (i) The director of the division of juvenile justice services, department of health and human services, or designee. (j) The director of the division of field services, department of corrections, or designee. (k) The director of police standards and training, or designee. (l) The director of victim/witness services, department of justice, or designee. (m) The chief justice of the superior court, or designee. (n) The administrative judge of the district court, or designee. (o) The administrative judge of the judicial branch family division, or designee. (p) The executive director of the judicial council. (q) The president of the county attorneys affiliate of the New Hampshire Association of Counties, or designee. (r) The president of the county corrections superintendents affiliate of the New Hampshire Association of Counties, or designee. (s) The president of the New Hampshire Association of Chiefs of Police, or designee. (t) The executive director of the New Hampshire Public Defender, or designee. (u) The president of the New Hampshire Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, or designee. (v) The executive director of the New Hampshire Civil Liberties Union, or designee. (w) The chairperson of the governor's commission on alcohol and drug abuse prevention, treatment, and recovery, or designee. (x) The chairman of the adult parole board, or designee. (y) The executive director of the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, or designee. (z) The warden of the New Hampshire correctional facility for women, or designee, appointed by the commissioner of the department of corrections. II. Legislative members of the council shall receive mileage at the legislative rate when attending to the duties of the council. Source. 2008, 201:1. 2009, 199:1. 2014, 18:5; 221:1. 2015, 146:1, eff. Aug. 11, 2015.

RSA 651-E:3 Duties.

651-E:3. Duties. The council shall: I. Identify, study, develop, and implement effective criminal and juvenile justice policy. II. Promote the effective allocation and use of public and private resources within the criminal and juvenile justice system. III. Foster effective communication, understanding, cooperation, and coordination among those involved in, or affected by, the criminal and juvenile justice system. IV. Inform and engage the public regarding criminal and juvenile justice matters. V. The council shall investigate and propose legislation that would develop a statewide model for pretrial services for counties to adopt where, if minimum criteria established in the model are met, the county would be able to apply for reimbursement from a fund to be established by the legislature. As a part of the recommended legislation, a source for funding should be identified as well as the appropriate number and kind of services that must be included to qualify for reimbursement, based on the needs of a particular county that may not require all of the services outlined in the model plan. VI. The council shall investigate and propose legislation that would establish a modern electronic system within the courts for case tracking, with different levels of access from outside entities based upon need. This shall include law enforcement, defense counsel, bail commissioners, and the general public for research purposes. This system shall connect all courts within the state and shall allow for electronic filings, orders of the court, and any other such information as the commission deems necessary after investigating the matter. VII. The council shall investigate and propose legislation to establish offices of victim and witness advocates within the offices of the county attorneys, to the extent such services are not already available, and using the office of victim/witness assistance at the department of justice as a model. The offices will provide support for victims of crime and witnesses to crime who are testifying on behalf of the state. This office should provide information related to the rights of victims in criminal cases, including, but not limited to, their ability to give victim impact statements, to be notified of all dates, times, and locations of proceedings in their cases, to be notified of the pending release of defendants, and to obtain protective orders; as well as information on the availability of various public and private assistance for victims of domestic violence or with food and shelter and on the availability of medical insurance and services; and any other roles as may deemed appropriate by the council. The council shall make recommendations for funding sources for this office, such as criminal fines or other sources. Source. 2008, 201:1, eff. June 16, 2008. 2024, 181:1, eff. July 12, 2024.

RSA 651-E:4 Chairperson; Quorum.

651-E:4. Chairperson; Quorum. I. The members of the council shall elect a chairperson from among the members. The first meeting of the council shall be called by the speaker of the house of representatives or the speaker's designee. The first meeting of the council shall be held within 45 days of the effective date of this section. Twelve members of the council shall constitute a quorum. II. The chairperson may invite any person to provide information in council meetings, provided there is no objection from the council. Source. 2008, 201:1. 2009, 199:2, eff. Sept. 13, 2009.

RSA 651-E:5 Report.

651-E:5. Report. The council shall submit a biennial report beginning on December 1, 2014, together with its findings and any recommendations for proposed legislation to the speaker of the house of representatives, the senate president, the house clerk, the senate clerk, the governor, and the state library. Source. 2008, 201:1. 2014, 221:2, eff. Sept. 12, 2014.

Source: New Hampshire General Court (gc.nh.gov)URL: https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/NHTOC/NHTOC-LXII-651-E.htmFetched: 10/20/2026